What You Wish For has credited our resident sire Embellish with his fourth individual black type winner.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson representative stepped up to 2000 metres for the first time this preparation in the Listed Kaimai Stakes at Matamata and duly prevailed with a determined display.

We bred and sold What You Wish For, who settled in behind the pace on the fence and, once into the clear, the gelding finished determinedly to earn top honours.

He has now been successful four times, and placed in the G2 Waikato Guineas last season, but can be a tricky customer to get a line on at times, according to his co-trainer.

“He’s always promised a lot, but you wouldn’t want to play cards with him,” Walker said.

“With the stock of Embellish you have to be a bit patient, I think he is a really under-rated sire.”

What You Wish For was ridden by Craig Grylls who said the four-year-old travelled strongly and rounded off well in the straight.

“We crossed them and ended up in the trail and he was hard on the steel all the way, it was a great win.”

What You Wish For was a $60,000 purchase by David Ellis out of our 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft and the following year the Te Akau chief bought his half-sister by Savabeel, the unraced Wish Come True, for $190,000.

They are out of the Smart Missile mare Grand Wish, who is a half-sister to the G1 Galaxy Handicap winner Griante and the family of the G1 WATC Derby winner Grand Journey.

Grand Wish has a yearling colt by Sword Of State and foaled an Embellish filly last season before returning to the Group 1-winning son of Savabeel.

Talented colt Extremely Zain has crowned the fast start to his career with black type success.

Prepared by master trainer William Haggas, the son of our shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain was successful in three of his previous five outings before he claimed the top prize in the Listed Garrowby Stakes over 1200 metres.

He had been unplaced in his previous appearance in the G2 Hungerford Stakes over 1400 metres and relished the shorter trip at York.

"He's a very good horse and he's shown a lot of speed. It was a bold decision to come back to six furlongs and the right one,” winning rider Ceren Fallon said.

The French-bred Extremely Zain is a son of the unraced Galileo mare Alone whose sister Lush Lashes was the three-time Group 1 winner of the Coronation Stakes, Matron Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks.

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Quality Almanzor filly Pounce doubled her winning tally at Ellerslie when she produced a commanding performance to claim top honours in the G3 Sunline Vase.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained three-year-old was successful at headquarters last season and a return there on a better surface paved the way for further success.

Our homebred was second-up after finishing sixth when resuming in the Listed Chittick Family Fillies’ Classic on a heavy track.

“Even though it wasn’t the result we wanted, we were pleased with her run at Taupo and she loves the better ground,” Scott said.

“She ran the 1200 metres out strongly and that gives us a lot of hope that she’ll go further.”

Scott said the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November was an obvious target.

We sold Pounce for $110,000 to Wexford Stables through our 2025 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

He is the first foal of the Darci Brahma mare Caminata, who is a sister to the Listed Tauranga Classic winner Summer’s Day.

Caminata has an unraced two-year-old filly by Embellish named Alta Via and is back in foal to Almanzor after producing a brother to Pounce last season.

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Asturia made a dream start to her career at Ellerslie where she accounted for a competitive line-up of three-year-olds.

The daughter of our resident sire Almanzor produced a stirring finish along the fence in the hands of rider Michael McNab to be supreme at the end of 1400 metres.

“We threw her in the deep end a bit, but we’ve always had a lot of time for her,” co-trainer Sam Bergerson said.

“We were quietly confident, that’s a great way to start her career.”

Bred by Monovale Holdings, the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas nominated-Asturia is out of the Zabeel mare Kay’s Legacy who is due to foal to Almanzor again.

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